Toyota is the largest automaker in the world – again

Best compact car: Toyota Corolla

Handout, Toyota

Toyota beats out Volkswagen and GM once more for the global auto sales crown

by
Staff, The Associated Press | January 28, 2016

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Toyota sold 10.15 million vehicles in 2015, retaining its status as the world’s top-selling automaker for the fourth straight year. The sales figure compared with 2015 sales of 9.93 million vehicles for Volkswagen and 9.8 million for General Motors.

Toyota, the automaker behind many best-selling cars such as the Camry, Corolla and Prius, has forecast sales at 10.114 million vehicles in 2016. Its actual sales in 2015 beat its forecast for sales of 10.098 million vehicles.

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Auto sales in major markets such as the U.S. and Japan have slowed, while emerging markets that had sustained growth in recent years, such as Thailand and Indonesia, have weakened. In 2014, Toyota sold 10.23 million vehicles, Volkswagen sold 10.14 million vehicles and GM was third at 9.92 million vehicles.

GM, the parent company behind automakers such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Opel, was the top-selling automaker for more than seven decades until being surpassed by Toyota in 2008.

GM retook the sales crown for one year in 2011, when a tsunami and earthquake disaster struck northeastern Japan and disrupted production.